Bangladesh envoy visits Thai mass grave

Bangladesh Ambassador to Thailand, Saida Muna Tasneem reached the first mass grave of human trafficking victims in Southern Thailand this morning.

She arrived in Thailand's Southern-most province of Songkhla last night to meet in person the reported Bangladeshi survivors from an alleged mass grave uncovered in the Province’s Sadao area on May 1.

Yesterday afternoon, following a five-day public holiday in Thailand, sustained efforts from Bangladesh Embassy in Bangkok secured it’s consular access from Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs to visit Sadao and interview the reported two Bangladeshi survivors – one adult and one minor – who are currently being kept in a hospital under police protection.

Apart from a two member consular team of the Embassy, the Bangladesh ambassador is also being accompanied by an officer of Thai foreign ministry.

This would be the first such visit by any Bangladesh ambassador to assess the situation of reported trafficking networks that are allegedly luring some Bangladeshi people to take the risky sea route towards Malaysia and getting into life-risk situations.

The ambassador is scheduled to meet the governor of Songkhla and head of police to collect first hand information on reported Bangladeshi nationals as well as exchange views on cooperation with the province for combating trafficking syndicates that are working regionally.

Bangladesh Embassy in Bangkok had sought immediate consular access to the Thai foreign ministry on May 2 soon after the international media reported the rescue of Bangladeshi survivor in Songkhla.